1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light source with a diode and optical fibers.
2. Description of Related Art
A light source of the above-noted kind is known from published German Patent document DE 10 2004 006 932 B3 and has a diode laser bar with a large number of narrow emitters arranged one beside another in a row in the direction of their longitudinal axis. Associated with the diode laser bar is a device for beam guiding and beam shaping of the laser beam emerging from the diode laser bar, which device contains a large number of light-guide fibers arranged one beside another in a row, into which the laser beam is coupled. It is provided that the light-guide fibers are gathered together on the opposite side to form a bundle, excluding from the bundle any non-irradiated optical fibers lying between the emitters which are spaced apart from one another in the diode laser bar.
One disadvantage with the light source known from the related art is that the mechanical strength of the device for beam guiding and beam shaping is low in the region in which input coupling of the laser beam takes place, thus making it difficult to handle the device for beam guiding and beam shaping. Moreover, its durability is reduced. It is a first aspect and the object of the present invention to overcome that disadvantage.
A further disadvantage with the light source known from the related art is that the bundle also contains fibers into which only comparatively little light is coupled. In that manner, the beam density at the outlet of the device for beam guiding and beam shaping and the usability of the light emerging from the device for beam guiding and beam shaping, for example for optically pumping a solid-state laser, are reduced. It is a second aspect of the present invention to overcome that disadvantage.
A third aspect of the present invention is to provide a light source with which a high proportion of the emission of a diode laser is coupled into a light-guiding device and is transmitted in the light-guiding device.
Further aspects of the present invention are concerned with the production of light sources of the kind disclosed herein.
It is known from published German Patent document DE 10 2004 006 932 B3 to produce a light source by arranging round optical fibers one beside another in an end section and placing them by their end region in a mold in which they are brought into a rectangular cross-section by a hot-pressing process, with the fibers arranged one beside another in the end region fusing together.
In the case of the method known from the related art, only a single device for beam guiding and beam shaping is produced per work cycle consisting of arrangement and hot-pressing of fibers. Furthermore, the arrangement of light-guide fibers in an end portion is comparatively time-consuming. The method known from the related art accordingly has the disadvantage of low profitability. A first further aspect of the present invention is to provide a method in which at least two light-guiding devices are produced per work cycle.
When carrying out the methods in question, especially on an industrial scale, it is extremely important that reshaping of the fibers to the desired extent actually takes place, but on the other hand that excessive compression of the fibers is reliably prevented. A second further aspect of the present invention is therefore provide methods in which it is ensured that a defined reshaping of the fibers takes place with a high degree of accuracy.